Trains run daily through Porirua’s busy rail network, and officials are urging residents to take extra care around the tracks as Rail Safety Week 2025 gets underway.
Greater Wellington councillors, Metlink, and Minister for Rail Winston Peters launched the national campaign at Parliament today, alongside TrackSAFE Foundation NZ and KiwiRail. This year’s message is clear: the only safe way to cross is at a designated railway level crossing.
Metlink Group Manager Samantha Gain said the reminder is especially relevant for communities along the Kāpiti Line, which includes Porirua.
“Level crossings are specifically designed to ensure the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles, and those on board our services,” Gain said. “Last year there were 642 recorded trespassing incidents into the rail corridor, with about 60 near misses involving pedestrians. These near misses are not only extremely dangerous for the pedestrians but can also be very distressing for locomotive engineers and railway staff.”
TrackSAFE Board of Trustees member Fiona Abbott, who is also Greater Wellington’s Programme Director for Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi, said the rail corridor typically extends five metres on either side of the tracks and is strictly off-limits.
“These areas, along with railway bridges, tunnels and yards, are high-risk environments,” Abbott said. “Unauthorised access can have tragic consequences.”
TrackSAFE is jointly funded by KiwiRail, Metlink, NZ Transport Agency, Transdev Wellington, Auckland One Rail, Auckland Transport, John Holland, Stantec, and Downer.